John Hay to John G. Nicolay, November 25, 1863

Executive Mansion,

Washington, Nov. 25, 1863.

MY DEAR NICO:

Grant’s and Wilcox’s despatches are so cheering this morning that I sent you a cautious dispatch this morning. Hooker (fighting Joe ) (Fightinger than ever) has done gloriously; carried the north slope of Lookout Mountain and gobbled a thousand prisoners. Thomas and Sherman have also done all they attempted, and Grant is to advance to-day along his whole line.

Burnside has sent a courier through to Wilcox and says he is all right as yet; is not hungry or thirsty, and has not quite begun his share of the fighting.

Everything looks well.

Don't, in a sudden spasm of good-nature, send any more people with letters to me requesting

favors from L. I would rather make the tour of a small-pox hospital.

SOURCES: Clara B. Hay, Letters of John Hay and Extracts from Diary, Volume 1, p. 128-9; For the whole diary entry see Tyler Dennett, Editor, Lincoln and the Civil War in the Diaries and letters of John Hay, p. 127.

Diary of Lieutenant-Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes: Friday July 25, 1862

Preparations for the trip. We go from this camp immediately after dinner.

SOURCE: Charles Richard Williams, editor, Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, Volume 2, p. 310

Diary of 1st Sergeant John L. Ransom: January 25, 1864

Being in this place brings out a man for just what he is worth. Those whom we expect the most from in the way of braving hardships and dangers, prove to be nobody at all. And very often those whom we expect the least from prove to be heroes every inch of them. Notably one of these is George Hendryx, who is nothing but a good looking, effeminate boy, fit, you would say, to be going to school with a mother to look after him, and for not much else. But instead, he is brave, cheerful, smart, watching every chance to get the best of the Johnny Rebs. His position in the cook-house has given him a chance to feed, I presume, hundreds of men. Near the cook-house is a store-house, and in it are several hogsheads of hams. These hams were sent from the Sanitary Commission at the North for Union prisoners, but they for whom they were intended do not get them, and they are being eaten up by the rebels. Hendryx has managed to get up a board in the cook-house floor, where he can crawl fifteen or twenty feet under the storehouse and up through that floor. By this Yankee trick he has stolen, I presume one hundred hams and gotten them inside where they belong. This is very risky on his part, for should he be discovered it would go very hard with him. He is about as unselfish a fellow as you can well find. This is only one of his plans to outwit the rebels for our benefit. His head is all the time, too, planning some way of escape. Well, we all hope he won't get caught. All shake in our boots for him. Was on guard last night, outside, over the clothing. There is so much clothing stole by the rebels that Bossieux put a guard of two over the boxes through the night, and if any of the Rebs come around to steal we are instructed to wake up the lieutenant, who sleeps near by in a tent. I was on duty last night with Joe Myers, and Hendryx came where we were and unfolded a plan for escape which he has been working up. It is a risky affair, and had best be thought over pretty thorough before put into execution. Robinson has been found out as a lieutenant, and taken over to Richmond to be placed with the officers in Libby Prison. We are sorry that we must lose him.

SOURCE: John L. Ransom, Andersonville Diary, p. 27-8

Diary of Brigadier-General William F. Bartlett: Saturday, October 22, 1864

Had to go to bed this P. M. Bad headache, etc., etc. Letter from Agnes, do not read it to-night Sent letter to Agnes.

SOURCE: Francis Winthrop Palfrey, Memoir of William Francis Bartlett, p. 147

Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: March 3, 1863

We like our new quarters — and the three Samaritan widows, without children. They lend us many articles indispensable for our comfort. It is probable they will leave us soon in the sole occupancy of the house. There is ground enough for a good many vegetables — and meat is likely to be scarce enough. Bacon is now $1.37½ cts. per pound, and flour $30 per barrel. The shadow of the gaunt form of famine is upon us! But the pestilence of small-pox is abating.

We have now fine March weather; but the floods of late have damaged the railroad bridges between this and Fredericksburg. The Secretary of War requested the editors, yesterday, to say nothing of this. We have no news from the West or from the Southeast — but we shall soon have enough.

The United States Congress has passed the Conscription Act. We shall see the effect of it in the North; I predict civil war there; and that will be our “aid and comfort.”

Gen. Toombs has resigned; and it is said Pryor has been made a major-general. Thus we go up and down. The President has issued a proclamation for prayer, fasting, etc., on the twenty-seventh of this month. There will certainly be fasting — and prayer also. And God has helped us, or we should have been destroyed ere this.

SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 1, p. 266-7

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant George G. Smith: June 11, 1865

Detailed to take command of a force to guard the telegraph station across the river, opposite the fort. Relieved by a company of U. S. regulars under Lieut. Brown.

SOURCE: Abstracted from George G. Smith, Leaves from a Soldier's Diary, p. 143-4

Diary of 1st Lieutenant Lemuel A. Abbott: Thursday, August 18, 1864

The enemy followed us and overtook our rear guard at Winchester where Generals Torbert and Wilson and the New Jersey brigade of the Sixth Corps had a sharp little fight last night losing it's said, one hundred and eighty in killed, wounded and prisoners. We were aroused to form line of battle this morning at 4 o'clock. We got breakfast and marched about 6 o'clock a. m. It rained constantly all forenoon and was lowering this afternoon; dined at Clifton farm; marched to Charlestown and bivouacked at 9 o'clock p. m. We have got to make three days' rations last five.

SOURCE: Lemuel Abijah Abbott, Personal Recollections and Civil War Diary, 1864, p. 137

Diary of Sergeant Major Luman Harris Tenney, Monday, December 15, 1862

Reached the Kansas river about noon and got crossed before dark. Went five miles to the edge of the prairie and camped. Pleasant place.

SOURCE: Frances Andrews Tenney, War Diary Of Luman Harris Tenney, p. 49

Diary of 1st Lieutenant John S. Morgan: Wednesday, May 3, 1865

Kept close to quarters all day except a short visit to the commissary for some candles. At 11 A. M. the Gunboat Octorara returns bringing 4 or 5 men of our Regt. who had been up to Selma. Boat brings no news. Mr. Rush gives a dinner to which Genl Benton & a no of other officers were invited. At 12, M. a flag of truce carried by 2 Luets & 4 Privates goes out, destination not made known. After supper attended prayer meeting in camp. About tettoo time heard loud cheers in the 27th hearing that a boat had arrived Lt. Laughridge & self go to the landing to get the news. No boat, but hear that Col Patterson said “The news is glorious the war is over it is entirely played out.” This was the cause of the cheering, how the news got here I dont know. Rumors of the day — a deserter reports Forest 75 miles from here with 2500 men determined to fight us. — The Reb fleet & between 2 & 3 thousand men lie at St Stephns 25 miles above waiting to hear from Genl Taylor. — All Regts with less than 9 months to serve ordered to New Orleans to he sent up the river preparatory to muster out.

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, 33rd Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 13, No. 8, April 1923, p. 598

William H. Seward to Gideon Welles, April 20, 1863

Dep't. Of State, 20th April, 1863.

Hon. G. Welles, &c.

Sir: In reply to your note of the 18th inst. on the subject of the mails of the “Peterhoff,” it seems proper for me to say that when the question of detaining the public mails found on board of vessels visited and searched by the blockading forces of the U. States, was presented to this Department last year, I took the instructions of the President thereupon. Not only the note which I addressed to you on the 8th day of August last, but also the note which I addressed to you on the 31st of October last, concerning this question, was written with the approval and under the direction of the President. The views therein expressed were then communicated to the British Government by authority of the President, as defining the course of proceedings which would be pursued when such cases should occur thereafter. On receiving your note of the 13th inst., intimating a view of the policy to be pursued differing from what had thus been determined by the President on the 31st of October last, I submitted to him that note together with all the previous correspondence bearing upon the subject, together with the act of Congress to which you have called my attention. I then asked his instructions in the case of the mails of the Peterhoff. The note which I addressed to you on the 15th was the result of these instructions, and having been read and approved by him, it was transmitted to you by his direction. I was also directed to communicate the contents thereof to the Dist. Attorney of the U. S. for the Southern District of New York, and also to announce to Lord Lyons, for the information of the British Government, that the mails of the “Peterhoff” would be forwarded to their destination. I was also directed by the President to make some special representations to the British Government on the general subject of the mails of neutrals, which are now in preparation.

I need hardly say that no part of my note of the 15th instant was intended or was understood by me as imputing to you the having raised or being disposed to raise new questions. What was said on that subject, was said by way of showing that a course of proceedings different from what I was recommending, would involve, on the part of this Government, the raising of a question which had been waived by it in my correspondence with the British Government in October last.

I have the honor to be &c.

William H. Seward.

SOURCE: Gideon Welles, Diary of Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy Under Lincoln and Johnson, Vol. 1: 1861 – March 30, 1864, p. 282-3

Diary of John Hay: November 22, 1863

This evening Seward read to the President a despatch from Cash Clay, in which he discussed the whole field of American politics — European diplomacy — and the naval improvements of the century. This man is certainly the most wonderful ass of the age. He recently sent a despatch to Seward, criticising in his usual elusive and arrogant style, the late Oration of Sumner on Foreign Relations, concluding in regular diplomatic style by saying: — “You will read this to Mr. Sumner, and if he desires it, give him a copy.”

Seward says: — “It is saddening to think of the effect of prosperity on such a man. Had not we succeeded, and he prospered, he would always have been known as a brave, sincere, self-sacrificing and eloquent orator. I went all the way to Kentucky to see and to encourage him. It is prosperity that has developed that fearful underlying vanity that poisons his whole character.”

I asked Mr. Seward if he heard of the three revolutions of Matamoras, of which we have been talking to-day. He said: — “Yes! I have received a despatch about it from Gov^r Banks. I am surprised that a man so sagacious and cautious should have been on the brink of doing so imprudent a thing.”

“He was about to fire on them then?” said the President.

“Yes!” said Seward. “Our consul at Matamoras asked for protection, and he brought his guns to bear on the Castle for that purpose. I wrote to him at once that that would be war; that if our consul wanted protection he must come to Brownsville for it. Firing upon the town would involve us in a war with the Lord knows who.”

“Or rather,” said the President, “the Lord knows who not.”

I happened to mention the Proclamation of Emancipation, and Seward said: — “One-half the world are continually busying themselves for the purpose of accomplishing Proclamations and Declarations of War, etc., which they leave to the other half to carry out. Purposes can usually better be accomplished without Proclamations. And failures are less signal when not preceded by sounding promises.

“The slave States seem inclined to save us any further trouble in that way,” he continued. “Their best men are making up their minds that the thing is dead. Bramlette has written an admirable letter in answer to some slaveholders who ask him how he, a pro-slavery man, can support a war whose result will be the abolition of slavery. He tells them the war must be prosecuted, no matter what the result; that it will probably be the destruction of slavery, and he will not fight against it, nor greatly care to see the institution ended.”

The President added, as another cheering incident from Kentucky, that Jerry Boyle has asked for permission to enlist three thousand negroes for teamsters, paying them wages and promising them freedom.

The President is very anxious about Burnside.

SOURCES: Clara B. Hay, Letters of John Hay and Extracts from Diary, Volume 1, p. 125-8; For the whole diary entry see Tyler Dennett, Editor, Lincoln and the Civil War in the Diaries and letters of John Hay, p. 124-5.

Diary of Lieutenant-Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes: Thursday July 24, 1862

Camp Green Meadows. — I got a lame, halting permission from Colonel Scammon to go on an errand of mercy over New River into Monroe [County] after the family of Mr. Caldwell, a Union man, who has been kept away from home and persecuted for his loyalty. The colonel says I may go if and if; and warning me of the hazards, etc., etc., shirking all responsibility. It is ridiculous in war to talk this way. If a thing ought to be done according to the lights we have, let us go and do it, leaving events to take care of themselves. This half-and-half policy; this do-less waiting for certainties before action, is contemptible. I rode to the ferry and arranged for the trip with Major Comly.

Six companies go over the ferry tonight and go on towards Indian Creek. Two stop at the Farms Road, to protect our rear from that approach; four companies and the cavalry will go to Indian Creek take post at the cross-roads, and the waggons and cavalry will push on to Mr. Caldwell's and get his family before daylight and start back. The whole party will retire to the ferry if possible before night of the 26th.

SOURCE: Charles Richard Williams, editor, Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, Volume 2, p. 309-10

Diary of 1st Sergeant John L. Ransom: January 24, 1864

We are all troubled with heart-burn, sour stomach, &c. Drink weak lye made from ashes for it. Every day some new ones come inside, but they know nothing as to the prospects of our being exchanged. All are considerably surprised to find themselves in quite so bad a place, and the subject of prison life begins to interest them. Good deal of gambling going on among prisoners. Chuck-a-luck is the favorite game. You lay your ration of bread down on a figure on a board, and a fellow with a dice-box shakes it up a little, throws out the dice, and your bread is gone Don't understand the game myself. That's all I ever saw of the game. Lay down the bread and it's gone. Rather a one sided affair. Some men are very filthy, which makes it disagreeable for those of more cleanly habits. I believe that many, very many, who now die, would live if they adopted the rules that our mess has, and lived up to them. It is the only way to get along.

SOURCE: John L. Ransom, Andersonville Diary, p. 26-7

Diary of Brigadier-General William F. Bartlett: Friday, October 21, 1864

Put my leg on this morning, not very comfortable yet Three years ago to-day, Ball's Bluff. Wrote Dr. J. Monroe, 560 Hudson St., New York, about his leg.

SOURCE: Francis Winthrop Palfrey, Memoir of William Francis Bartlett, p. 147

Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: March 2, 1863

The enemy burnt the steamship Nashville on Saturday near Savannah. She was employed taking provisions to Fort McAlister. I think it was destroyed by an incendiary shell.

There is a rumor to-day of the burning of railroad bridges between this and Fredericksburg.

I signed an agreement to-day with Mr. Malsby to publish my new “Wild Western Scenes.” He is to print 10,000 copies, which are to retail at $2; on this he pays me 12½ per cent, or 25 cents for every copy sold; $2500 if the whole are sold. He will not be able to get it out before May.

We moved into the west end of Clay Street to-day, and like the change. There are no children here except our own. The house is a brick one, and more comfortable than the frame shell we abandoned.

SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 1, p. 266

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant George G. Smith: December 31, 1864

This day closes up a very eventful year in our history. Many graves had been made. Disease and the fortunes of war had done their work, and the ranks of the First Louisiana Infantry Volunteers were thinned to less than one half the original number. Still we went on, heedless of what the future might bring. No thought of the morrow. “Let the things of the morrow take care of themselves.” Today nine companies moved into the barracks and Co. C moved into the fort just as we were one year ago. Col. Fisk in command of the Post.

SOURCE: Abstracted from George G. Smith, Leaves from a Soldier's Diary, p. 143

Diary of 1st Lieutenant Lemuel A. Abbott: Wednesday, August 17, 1864

We were ordered to commence our retrogade movement at 8.30 o'clock, but didn't till about 10 o'clock a. m. As usual our division goes as train guard. We passed through Middletown about midnight; didn't stop to do much foraging; arrived at Newtown about 2 o'clock a. m., and passing through, the men nearly stripping the place of everything; got breakfast at Winchester and stopped near Clifton farm. Foraging is allowed, owing to the levies made for money on places by the enemy, which if not paid have been burnt, in Maryland and Pennsylvania, such as Williamsport, Chambersburg, etc. It is desired, too, to strip the Shenandoah Valley of all supplies in order to keep the enemy out of it.

SOURCE: Lemuel Abijah Abbott, Personal Recollections and Civil War Diary, 1864, p. 136

Diary of Sergeant Major Luman Harris Tenney, Sunday, December 14, 1862

Reveille at 4 and off a little before sunrise. Reached Spring Hill at 4 P. M. Charlie Ball and I went out to a house and got supper. Kept us till dark. Got cider.

SOURCE: Frances Andrews Tenney, War Diary Of Luman Harris Tenney, p. 49

Diary of 1st Lieutenant John S. Morgan: Tuesday, May 2, 1865

The 2d Brigade starts at 7 A. M. with 4 days rations & in light marching order are accompanied by one battery of 6 guns & 30 empty wagons, about an hour after was surprised to see the whole column returning to camp. I learn the cause to be that at the picket post was met a Liuet & 15 men with a flag of truce who reports that there is a cessation of hostilities in this Department for 30 days he had with him an order purporting to be from Genl Dick Taylor with his name attached forbidding any demonstrations of hostilities for 30 days. The Div Adjt goes out to see him and asks by whose authority he comes with a flag of truce to our lines, says by no other authority than his own. The Adjt tells him to get inside of his own lines as speedily as possible & not to come again without clothed with proper authority. This is talk, but there is other talk no more reasonable. That the flag brought a sealed dispatch which was sent to Mobile unbroken, there being no other boats here the Octorara (Gunboat) was dispatched immediately. I think there is more of it than the authorites would wish the soldier to know, for there must be something important or the brigade would not have turned back neither would the Octorara the only Gunboat here have been sent to Mobile. I spend the forenoon reading, about noon Mr. Rush is in & brings our mess some pickles, he says that he saw a Capt Foster just from Mobile yesterday morning who says there is an armistice of 30 days & that Genls Granger & Taylor have been in conference at 8 mile creek near Whistler for some 4 days, P. M. spend napping. After supper Lt Laughridgc & self take a walk to the river, take a boat ride in a canoe returning towards camp stop at Lt Corys quarters, are soon joined by Maj Boydston. Spend about an hour here smoking & talking. The Maj tells us that it is a truth strange as it may seem that the pickets of both armies occupy Citroville amicably & the Reb army are repairing the R. R. from C — to Meridian, & our army repairing it from C — to Mobile, also thinks the paroles are made out & signed by this time for all of Taylors men, weather warm dust almost in tolerable, & fleas “thicker than the hair on a dogs back” as Brass band serenades Brig Hd. Qtrs, tonight.

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, 33rd Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 13, No. 8, April 1923, p. 597-8

Lieutenant-Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes to Lucy Webb Hayes, July 23, 1862

Camp Green Meadows, July 23, 1862.

Dearest: — I today received a dispatch from Captain Clements that I have been appointed colonel of the Seventy-ninth Regiment to be made up in Warren and Clinton Counties. I shall make no definite decision as to acceptance until I get official notice of it. I suppose it is correct. I shall much hate to leave the Twenty-third. I can't possibly like another regiment as well, and am not likely to be as acceptable myself to another regiment. If there was a certainty of promotion to the command of the Twenty-third, I would certainly wait for it. But between you and I [me], Colonel Scammon is not likely to deserve promotion, and will perhaps fail to get it. If he gets it he will probably keep command of the Twenty-third — that is, have it in his brigade. Besides, I begin to fear another winter in these mountains. I could stand it after two or three months' vacation with you in Ohio, but to go straight on another year in this sort of service is a dark prospect. Altogether, much as I love the Twenty-third, I shall probably leave it. I shall put off the evil day as long as I can, hoping something will turn up to give me this regiment, but when the decision is required, I shall probably decide in favor of the new regiment and a visit to you and the boys. I know nothing of the Seventy-ninth except that a son of the railroad superintendent, W. H. Clements, is to be major. I knew him as a captain in the Twelfth, a well-spoken-of youngster. It will be a sad day all around when I leave here.

Last night various doings at headquarters of brigade disgusted me so much, that before I went to sleep I pretty much resolved to get up this morning and write in the most urgent manner soliciting promotion in a new regiment to get out of the scrape. But when this morning brings me the news that I have got what I had determined to ask, I almost regret it. “Such is war!”

Write me all you learn, if anything, about the new regiments — what sort of people go into them, — are they likely ever to fill up? Etc., etc.

SOURCE: Charles Richard Williams, editor, Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, Volume 2, p. 308-9